Instagram crisis statements: remorse works, denial does not

A recent study analysed crisis statements shared by 15 celebrities between 2020 and 2023, along with the 450 most liked comments attached to them. The research, published in the February issue of Social Semiotics, was conducted by researcher Alima Maligenova and Admilson Veloso da Silva, Assistant Professor, from the Institute of Marketing and Communication Sciences at Corvinus University of Budapest. They examined how A-list celebrities with at least two million followers attempt to manage crises on Instagram, and how audiences respond. 

Posts were grouped according to the image-repair strategies they employed: denial, evasion of responsibility, reducing the offensiveness of the act, corrective action, and mortification. Remorse, acceptance of responsibility, and the expression of sincere regret and apology prompted the most positive reactions. On average, these posts attracted more supportive and fewer critical comments. The seven posts that clearly expressed remorse generated around twenty positive comments on average, while negative feedback remained low. Anne Hathaway’s apology, following her dismissive behaviour towards a journalist in an interview, received exclusively positive responses. Some celebrities combined strategies. Misha Collins and Adele, for example, paired expressions of regret with elements of deflection and corrective measures. 

Timing and personal touch matters 

Evangeline Lilly did apologise for breaching COVID quarantine rules, but many followers felt it came too late and questioned its sincerity, resulting in predominantly negative reactions. By contrast, Naomi Osaka’s personal statement about her mental health received broad support. Amy Schumer attempted to downplay criticism over comments about Nicole Kidman by using humour. The audience remained divided: some blamed oversensitivity, while others saw the joke as an excuse. 

Denial was most often used in the most serious crises, but it also elicited the highest level of negative responses, averaging 15 critical comments per post. Snoop Dogg, Evangeline Lilly and Adele received the most criticism: of 44 comments analysed in their cases, 39 were negative. Following the fatal shooting on the set of Rust, Alec Baldwin described the incident as an accident rather than accepting personal responsibility, which many commenters interpreted as a lack of empathy. Lizzo’s response to allegations of workplace harassment and a toxic work environment, and Tory Lanez’s post addressing accusations related to a shooting, both took a defensive tone. Their rejection of the allegations also triggered strong criticism. 

Most comments were positive 

“The overall picture is not black and white. Timing, transparency, sincerity, credibility and the celebrity’s prior reputation matter just as much as the words themselves. Audiences expect explanations, but even more than that, they expect accountability. Those who can offer it convincingly are more likely to receive support,” says Admilson Veloso da Silva, researcher at Corvinus and co-author of the study. 

Of the 450 comments analysed, more than half were positive, while critical voices accounted for roughly one-third. Trolls were identified in only seven cases. According to the researchers, Instagram is less a space for rapid reputation repair and more a forum for public accountability. Celebrity crises are typically linked to personal conduct rather than organisational damage, which places greater emphasis on sincerity and personal tone. 

The celebrities examined in the study included Adele, Alec Baldwin, Misha Collins, Johnny Depp, Jamie Foxx, Anne Hathaway, Tory Lanez, Evangeline Lilly, Lizzo, Jason Momoa, Naomi Osaka, Florence Pugh, Amy Schumer, Snoop Dogg and Chrissy Teigen. 

Examples of different image-repair strategies: 

Denial: 
“In no way, shape or form was I apologizing for the charges I’m being wrongfully convicted of. I remain on the stance that I refuse to apologize for something that I did not do.” (Tory Lanez) 

Evasion of responsibility: 
“I’m fully cooperating with the police investigation to address how this tragedy occurred.” (Alec Baldwin) 

Reducing the offensiveness of the act: 
“There are deadly storms sweeping our world and a man was convicted of rape. But what got your goat was me saying that Nicole Kidman’s pose was not human-like. Breathe, y’all.” (Amy Schumer) 

Mortification: 
“I owe you all an apology for the pain caused. I am sorry.” (Anne Hathaway)